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Review of Greatest Sci-Fi Hits IV (Compilation)
FILMTRACKS RECOMMENDS:
Buy it... only if you dig the fascinating perversion of hearing
electric guitars and keyboards perform your favorite orchestral
science-fiction themes.
Avoid it... if any album containing a rock song named after soundtrack record producer Ford A. Thaxton throws up a red flag for you.
FILMTRACKS EDITORIAL REVIEW:
Greatest Science Fiction Hits IV: (Neil Norman and
his Cosmic Orchestra) Why exactly do most people in mainstream society
consider science fiction entertainment the realm of nerds? How come
Starfleet uniforms are always mentioned in Wield Al song parodies about
nerds? Could you point to any specific part of the sci-fi world and
declare it responsible for the lack of perceived coolness of the genre?
Yes... the answer is Neil Norman. The colorful Norman and his traveling
band called the Cosmic Orchestra are a group with a loyal following of
enthusiasts, and their live shows often consist of a spectacle of
lights, costumes, and futuristic sets. Their music is a bastardized
combination of rock and orchestral film music, blurring the lines with
often horrifying results. The key to looking at their contribution to
society is to determine how seriously you consider their intent. If
you're looking for some openly dumb, unashamed fun, the Norman fits an
amusing, comical role in the universe. If you hate hearing your favorite
film scores translated for electric guitar, then you're among the larger
contingency of more sophisticated sci-fi geeks who would rather consider
the genre's themes just one step away from classical music. Even if you
can make this determination as a fan, however, Norman suffers from one
significant problem; he can't seem to decide himself if he's going to
stay true to the outlandish, rock performances that define his
uniqueness or, conversely, try on occasion to actually produce
legitimately orchestral renditions of famous themes. It's this waffling,
among other head-scratching aspects, that ruins the fourth album
installment of his band's recordings. Obviously, someone must be buying
these things, for the fact that there were four of them to begin with
shows how prolific Norman is. There are apparently people out there who
don't seem to mind hearing Star Trek music performed by keyboards
and electric guitars. More amazing are pictures all over the packaging
with Norman hanging out with the likes of Jerry Goldsmith and John
Williams, causing anybody to wonder what exactly was going through the
composers' minds at the moment of the snapshots. The word 'fanboy' comes
to mind.
Norman utilizes a medium sized orchestra beyond his own band, and the resulting performances range from surprisingly loyal to the originals to embarrassingly ridiculous. The marginal highlight of this compilation is the orchestral rendition of the Amazing Stories theme by John Williams, a hard item to find at the time. The tracks from Predator and Men in Black are marginally effective as well, with Elfman's music lending itself a bit better to quirky, demo-like instrumentation. On the other hand, the cues that require a more robust orchestral presence, such as The Lost World (with electric guitars and the sounds of roaring dinosaurs in the mix), are crucified. The themes from The X-Files and Babylon 5 are dressed up so badly by the group that they are at times unrecognizable. The most insufferable track on the album is Norman's signature performance of Star Trek themes called "Star Trek Encounters." This collection of mutated themes, also barely recognizable in parts, flushes through Goldsmith tunes like Voyager and First Contact in full guitar and rock band mode. For most listeners, the boundary dividing the worlds of pop rock bands and orchestral film music is definitely crossed with this nerdy trash and it's embarrassing to even be witnessed listening to it. Scattered throughout the album are original compositions by the band members and the conductor of the orchestra. The most listenable of these (in a new age sense) is "Universes" by Bill Burchell, while Norman's own "Conquest of the Thaxton Nebula" is just as difficult to tolerate on album as soundtrack producer Ford A. Thaxton is on the phone. The problem that most people will have with these types of re-recordings is how pathetic they sound when they try to be serious. The synthetic strings and choir are cheap in their renderings; the real, marginally sized orchestra doesn't perform on all tracks. So, for instance, even if you can dig the rather adept percussion of the Predator track, the synth brass and strings will still have a tendency to annoy. It makes you wonder if Norman wouldn't be better off not trying the more serious avenue at all, and concentrate on his obviously more entertaining, overblown rock performances. Outside of the context of the live performances, which are undoubtedly a fascinating perversion for some, the albums are a painful listening experience. *
TRACK LISTINGS:
Total Time: 76:58
NOTES & QUOTES:
The insert is very colorful and contains a wealth of information about the recordings.
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The reviews and other textual content contained on the filmtracks.com site may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of Christian Clemmensen at Filmtracks Publications. All artwork and sound clips from Greatest Sci-Fi Hits IV are Copyright © 1998, GNP Crescendo Records and cannot be redistributed without the label's expressed written consent. Page created 9/7/99 and last updated 4/7/07. |
